Iginla Readyto Be Role Model

The leading scorer in the NHL is a person of color. If that sounds ground-breaking in this sport, even this early in the season, it’s something many don’t realize.

Calgary’s Jarome Iginla, who leads the league with 23 points, is well aware of his roots and understands the impact he could have if he goes on to win the Art Ross trophy, awarded to the league leader in points at the end of the season.

“I would love to see the sport grow,” said Iginla, who will lead the Flames into action this week at the Arrowhead Pond on Wednesday and Staples Center on Thursday.

“When I was younger, I really looked up to Grant Fuhr, playing right in Edmonton, and I would love to be a role model for young kids. If young kids of color want to play the game, I’d love it if I could be a role model for them and if they would look up to me.”

Iginla, whose last name means “big tree” in the Yoruba language, found his love for the sport in Edmonton, Canada, where his Nigeria-born father, Elvis, and U.S.-born mother, Susan Schuchard, moved, before splitting up when Jarome was 2.

As he grew, his talent for the sport flourished. Since he made his NHL debut in two playoff games with the Flames in 1996, Iginla has been regarded as one of the game’s top young forwards. In Iginla’s five complete seasons in the league, he has led Calgary in goals twice, and last season finished with a career-high 31 goals and 71 points.

But it has been his play over the first month of this season that has people talking, including Wayne Gretzky, who last month said that Iginla might be the best forward in the league.

“It’s an honor that he said that,” Iginla said. “[He’s] the best player to ever play the game, and to hear that coming from him, that feels pretty good.”

Iginla said his invitation to the Canadian Olympic team’s orientation camp in early September helped him get off to his strong start.

“I don’t think it was as much getting on the legs and going and skating at that speed before camp; I think it was more mental,” he said. “You know, there were the best players, some of the best players in the game, and competing alongside of them and being a part of it really helped my confidence.”

On a line centered by Craig Conroy, Iginla has been playing with more speed and power this season. His play is one reason the Flames sit atop the Northwest Division with 10 victories and 22 points.

Despite Iginla’s impressive numbers and his team’s early success, his name is nowhere to be found on the ballot for this season’s All-Star game to be played Feb. 2 at Staples Center.

“I didn’t take it personal at all,” Iginla said. “I mean, it was an honor to be on the ballot last year. I didn’t finish very high up on the voting. Maybe it’s part of the rotation. Hopefully one day, I will get to be on there again, but I think that [Calgary teammates] Roman Turek and Derek Morris are great candidates for us.”

Although Iginla is in position to reach several individual goals, such as representing Canada in the Olympics and winning an NHL scoring title, his main concern is getting the Flames back into the playoffs after watching them on television the last five years.

“Being able to get off to a good start, it’s so much more fun as a team,” said Iginla, who last season started donating $1,000 for each goal he scores to Kidsport Calgary, an organization that provides money and equipment for needy children to enjoy sports.

“When you’re winning, everyone enjoys being around the rink a lot more. And unfortunately over the past few seasons, we have gotten off to some bad starts and the feeling there from the start of the year was more tense and more pressure on everyone and a little bit more stressful.

“So this year, we want to continue it. We are all trying to work hard and push each other, but we are having a lot more fun doing it.”

Winning Isn’t Everything

Former King Ray Ferraro sat in the visiting dressing room at the Arrowhead Pond after the Atlanta Thrashers’ 5-0 loss to the Mighty Ducks on Sunday and reflected on his 18-year NHL career.

“I enjoy the competition, even on a night like this,” said the 5-foot-8 veteran center. “There’s not anything I would rather be doing.... “The only thing that has changed is that my kids are getting huge. My oldest son [Matthew] is 13 and not that it’s any great feat, but he’s almost as tall as me.”

After spending so many years chasing a Stanley Cup, Ferraro seems to be at peace with himself playing for the lowly Thrashers, who have one of the worst records in the league at 3-7-1-2.

“A few years ago, I was all tied up in that stuff ... trying to play on a team with a chance to win it all,” he said. “But there are a hell of a lot better players than me who never won a Stanley Cup. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to play in the league. I can’t believe that I’ve played this long, and I am going to enjoy it until the last day.”

Ferraro, who could have had a full-time career as a broadcaster with ESPN, is coming off a 76-point season, his best since he scored 40 goals and 80 points with the New York Islanders in 1991-92. Even so, he’s content to provide some veteran leadership for the young Thrashers.

“When I left Los Angeles, I had some serious questions on whether I could stay in the league,” said Ferraro, who played with the Kings from 1996-99. “Atlanta was good enough to give me a chance to play, and things have worked out for me. I like it. I miss living in Los Angeles and Manhattan Beach, but who wouldn’t?”

Wings and a Lock

The Detroit Red Wings will be rolling into town to play the Mighty Ducks on Friday and Kings on Saturday, and one key to their fast start this season has been the team’s more aggressive approach on offense.

No longer are the Red Wings a dominant left-wing lock team. Instead of relying on the left wing to always be thinking defense, even when the puck is in the zone on offense, Detroit has turned into a more striking team.

“We used to back off and maybe attack in the neutral zone,” left wing Brendan Shanahan told the Detroit Free Press. “Now we’re attacking more in the offensive zone. Now our team is a lot more active and pressuring the puck, forechecking all over the ice. It allows me to skate a lot more. I’m not standing back. It gives the left winger a bit more freedom.”

The new approach seems to work for Shanahan, who again is being regarded as one of the top power forwards in the game. In his first 15 games, Shanahan is tied for third in the league in scoring with 17 points and tied for second in the league with 10 goals.

Line Shifts

* According to his agent, Dallas defenseman Jyrki Lumme intends to return to the Stars soon, after taking a personal leave of absence last week to return to Finland to be with his family. Lumme’s wife, Minna, was concerned about safety issues in the United States and chose not to join him this season.

“He’s visiting with his family and seeing what can be worked out,” agent Don Baizley told the Dallas Morning News. “He’ll definitely be back. This is a temporary thing. I don’t know the timetable, whether it’s seven days, 10 days or 14 days.”

* After a four-year absence, NHL playoff games will be shown again on TSN this season. The league reached a five-year agreement with Canadian networks CBC and TSN, ensuring that regular-season and playoff games will be televised in Canada through the 2006-07 season.

Quotes of the Week

“With one new linemate, it’s not as tough, but with two ... and those guys never even played together in [Los Angeles]. So it’s all kind of like we’re new, and it takes a little while.”

Boston winger Bill Guerin on his new linemates, Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray, acquired in a trade from the Kings for Jason Allison and Mikko Eloranta on Oct. 24.

“There’s no panic, but we know we have to turn things around, and awfully quick. We can’t let this snowball.”

Colorado captain Joe Sakic on the defending Stanley Cup champions’ slow start. The Avalanche (7-8-0-0) has lost four of its last five games and has not been under .500 this late in the season since November 1999.